for hire
by Bag Of Badgers
Summary: The man at the hiring agency had said "He's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case." GerIta human AU with Ludwig as a domestic servant. (not really that dramatic, ignore the genre tags)


The man at the hiring agency had said _he's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case_.

And, to be completely honest, it's not that Feliciano _needs_ a servant, really, although he does like not having to do all the laundry and cook all the meals, but it's the done thing and otherwise Grandfather would be upset that he's not "upholding the family status", which to be honest Feliciano already isn't anyway considering he's not living in a huge house that would take a whole team of servants but _still_.

But Beilschmidt is polite enough and does in fact keep to himself and honestly novels aren't much of a problem in Feliciano's book (ha) and it keeps Grandfather quiet (as far as Grandfather can actually _be_ quiet) and he works for his keep and generally isn't trouble at all.

* * *

The man at the hiring agency had said _he's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case_.

He hadn't said anything to Feliciano about _he's actually also not a little attractive, and he looks a little familiar_.

And, to be completely honest, that's not _bad_, but oh would Grandfather ever be upset.

Even though it is really true.

* * *

The man at the hiring agency had said _he's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case_.

He hadn't said _his first name is Ludwig and he's nice to talk to_.

Which, again, he is, and that's how Feliciano learns that Ludwig has an older brother (who he hasn't seen in years, he joined the military and sends letters but not much more) and used to work for the Edelstein-Hédérváry household when he was younger before they had that property deal that went bad and lost most of their money and—

—oh! Oh, _that's _where Feliciano remembers him from, he used to have to go to society events at their house when he was young and he remembers itchy stuffy suits and itchy stuffy people and there had been a gangly blond boy in among the serving staff who stayed half behind a door most of the time—

"I used to go see them _all the time_ have you heard from them recently?"

"No, sir." Ludwig turns his attention back to the pot of water on the boil.

"Aw, that's kind of sad, they were nice, and also you don't have to call me 'sir' all the time Feliciano is fine really."

"I—ah—yessir." Is it his imagination or is Ludwig going just a bit pink around the ears?

"_Feliciano_ and you'll want a little more garlic there."

* * *

He walks with Ludwig sometimes on errands and it never works quite as well as it could because the rule is servants walk behind but Ludwig's legs are _long_ and he walks _really_ fast but Ludwig always always follows rules and Feliciano can tell he's getting impatient even though he's really good at not showing it and besides Feliciano wants to talk so it becomes an endless game of slow-down where he slows so he can walk at Ludwig's side (damn whatever Grandfather would say) and then Ludwig conscientiously slows down and walking backwards is not an option at all because then Feliciano will run into something so he finally just gives up and says "All right, I'm going to walk next to you that means _next_ to stop trying to stay behind me please see isn't this better?"

This becomes a common thing.

(So does paying him, not just room and board but extra, because the house is small but Feliciano is still messy and he knows it's difficult scraping paint off of surfaces paint was never intended to be on.)

(And so does cleaning up himself, when he can, just to make things a bit easier for Ludwig.)

* * *

The man at the hiring agency had said _he's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case_.

The man at the hiring agency had never said _you might fall in love with the look on his face when he bakes or the way he adjusts those beat-up reading glasses when he reads or the sound of his voice._

Feliciano _wishes_ he had been told, so he wouldn't be caught by surprise when he realizes he has, he _has_ and he can't not and he can't because—

—because he sees the way Lovino can tell and the way Lovino looks at him a little coolly, _I won't say anything but this is not a good idea_—

—because he knows how Grandfather is about relationships "beneath your station"—

—because when all is said and done Ludwig works for him and it wouldn't be right, what if he just went along with it because he was afraid Feliciano would fire him else—

—so he keeps silent and wishes he'd been told, although he doesn't really know what he would have done if he'd been told.

* * *

It's hard, letting him go, but Feliciano does. He just—it's—selfish, yes, but it's difficult, and if it's a choice between letting Ludwig go or keeping him around where Feliciano is reminded every day _you could and you do but you won't, you can't_, then Feliciano will let him go.

Not throwing him out, no, never. Ludwig had told him he did enjoy baking, and he's _amazing _at it (Edelstein must have taught him, but oh, oh he has talent), and Feliciano knows people, and so Ludwig is assured a spot on Alfred Jones the law student's couch and a job in Yekaterina Braginskaya's bakery.

He'll do fine.

Feliciano sends him off with all the back pay from early on and some novels that aren't secondhand and a few quick watercolors, and a smile, and goes back to cleaning paint off the walls (and floor and chairs and sometimes couch) himself.

* * *

Of course, Grandfather was upset, because "_he did good work, boy, you only ever are supposed to fire layabouts_", but to be quite honest Grandfather has always been in various stages of upset with Feliciano ever since he decided to try and get into trade because that wasn't a "_gentlemanly profession_".

Besides, there's something else that would upset Grandfather even more.

It's not that Feliciano goes to visit the bakery and make sure Ludwig's doing all right, and Ludwig gives him slices of cake free of charge.

It's that the seventh or eighth time he does this, Ludwig mutters something that could be "thank you" and takes his hand.

* * *

The man at the hiring agency had said _he's very dependable and quiet, keeps to himself, but he reads novels so you may want to keep an eye on him just in case_.

The man at the hiring agency had been missing a lot of vital information, in Feliciano's opinion.


End file.
